Man who crashed pickup into synagogue was inspired by Hezbollah: FBI
Detroit, March 31: An armed man who crashed his pickup truck into a major Detroit-area synagogue earlier in March was inspired by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and had sought to inflict as much damage as he could on Jewish people, the FBI said Monday. Ayman Ghazali made a video just minutes before the attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, saying he wanted to “kill as many of them as I possibly can” in the large Jewish congregation, said Jennifer Runyan, head of the FBI in Detroit, who announced the new information. Ghazali, 41, sat in the parking lot for a few hours on March 12 before smashing his F150 through doors and into the hallway of an early childhood education area, striking a security guard. He then exchanged gunfire with another guard before fatally shooting himself. No one else among the 150 children and staff was injured. (AP)
9 militants killed after attack on school in Pak
Peshawar, March 31: At least nine militants were killed in an operation by Pakistan’s security forces after an attack on a government school in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said on Tuesday. The militants stormed Government High School Khwaja Mir Kalay in the Aka Khel area of Bara Tehsil, Khyber district, on Monday, in an apparent attempt to seize control of the building. During the attack, the militants removed the national flag and hoisted their own flag on the school building. Following the exchange of fire with security forces, nine militants were killed, and the forces regained control of the school, reinstating the national flag atop the building. (PTI)
Indian-origin man shot dead in Canada’s Surrey
Ottawa, March 31: A man, known to be of Indian origin, has been killed in Canada’s Surrey in an incident of shooting allegedly related to organised crime, local media reported. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) said in an update on Monday that the victim has been identified as 27-year-old Jasman Sekhon, CTV News reported. “Sekhon had previous interactions with the police and was believed to be involved in the drug trade. Early indications suggest this was a targeted incident related to organised crime,” the report said. (PTI)
21 people rescued after their boat sinks
Palu (Indonesia), March 31: Indonesian search teams rescued 21 people from a raft Tuesday morning, a day after their boat sank in rough seas. Everyone on board the ship was found safely, said Muhammad Rizal, who heads the search and rescue office in Palu city. Officials earlier reported that 27 people were missing, but survivors reported that six people listed on the manifest had cancelled their plans to join the trip. Rescuers found the survivors on a raft about 46 kilometres from the place where the boat sank in the northern waters of Taliabu Island. The owner of the boat told authorities the boat’s captain had reported the vessel sank after its bow was broken by high waves during rough weather. (AP)
